Cordish Companies, which owns the Power & Light District, sued the Dickens Law firm after its sued Cordish, alleging the company employed people to start fights with black patrons to discourage them from coming to the entertainment district.

Cordish strongly denies the allegations. It claimed the law firm and two attorneys threatened to expose the alleged scheme to the public to help a client, and defamed Cordish in comments to the media.

The Kansas City Star reports (http://bit.ly/1qKL8U4 ) U.S. District Judge John Lungstrum ruled that Cordish's allegations did not describe activity required under the racketeering law, and the lawyers were only working to defend their client.